Chandrayaan-1 speeds up reverse brain drain

India

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Published: Saturday, October 25, 2008, 18:04 [IST]

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Bangalore, Oct 25 (UNI) Taking a cue from the successful IT sector, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which successfully launched its Lunar mission early this week, has succeeded in speeding up the 'reverse brain drain' by attracting the Indian scientists who had left in search of 'greener pastures' back to homeland.

Chandrayaan-1 Project Director M Anna Dorai said India was now attracting ''those bright minds'' that went to work in space agencies like NASA and European Space Agency. They were now looking at ISRO after its successful moon mission. The Chandrayaan-1 had put the country in with select group of moon exploring countries.

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function where Karnataka Government today honoured the top ISRO scientists for successful launch of Chandrayan I, at Indian Deep Space Network(DSN) about 35 km from the city, he said already some of his friends in NASA were personally in touch with him and want to come back to India.

''Some six or seven Indian scientists have approached me saying they were looking for opportunities in ISRO. A good number of foreign scientists are also asking whether ISRO could provide them an opportunity to work with it. I have seen so many Indians go and work in NASA. Thanks to Chandrayaan-1 now I am getting inquiries from them,'' he said.

He said apart from NASA, scientists from European Space Agency were also interested in coming to India.

''Earlier, ISRO was getting 50 per cent of its instruments done abroad. Now you can see the reverse in this trend. Developed countries in the West now want to become co-passengers in our missions. Instead of us asking for opportunity there (West), they are now coming to us. Is this not a reverse brain drain?'' he asked.